


Old books, immeasurable memories

by FanFicReader01



Series: The Library Chronicles [3]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Library, Books, Brad is mentioned, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Memories, Post-Apocalypse, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:14:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25973452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFicReader01/pseuds/FanFicReader01
Summary: A young woman of the new world meets a man with scars of the old world.
Series: The Library Chronicles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885000
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	Old books, immeasurable memories

Suddenly the music cracks until the radio goes fully silent. Jill groans, puts her book down and gets out of her chair. She walks to the end of the reception desk and taps on the radio. The device makes a few squeaky sounds but eventually the noises die out. She should ask Brad to take a look at it next time he stops by. Until then she’ll have to live without the music unless some visitor might help her out. Just as she thuds back in her chair, the Library’s doors open and an older male steps inside. He looks impressed by the building’s proportions. The woman smirks, most people who enter here for the first time, have such reaction. Jill reopens her book, but her eyes remain fixed on the man with the red beret. She wonders if she’d seen him here before. Then again, so many people come and go at this place, it’s basically a small community on its own.

“Can I help you with something?” she eventually asks. She puts the book down once more and walks over to the desk part where the man now stands. He has a greying beard and dreary eyes. An entire history is etched in the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth.

“I was just going to look around but maybe you can make my trip less… lost. I’m looking for books on war.”

The young woman peers at the man. For a second she wonders what his intentions are. He wouldn’t be the first man who comes here to seek knowledge about war strategies and weapons from the past to destroy his enemies. And as much as she’d rather not give them access to such power, she knows that everyone has the right to these books.

“Don’t worry, young lady, my time of war has long passed. Just want to incite some old memories of my comrades,” the man in front of her snaps her out of her escalating thoughts.

“Oh, of course,” she mutters. She leaves her desk and eyes Chris, her friend and local guard. He nods back.

“Got it, Jill!”

“Please, follow me,” Jill says to the old man. He follows her all the way to the third floor of the Library. There, they are met with a few corridors before she opens a large door that leads to an even larger room. A few ladders are placed strategically so people can reach the highest shelves. Jill hasn’t been here for awhile and apparently not many other visitors either. She has to wipe off the dust from the labels until she finds the right spot.

“Thank you, Jill. I think I would’ve been looking for hours if it weren’t for you. I am amazed you know where everything stands.”

Jill lets out a half snort. “That kind of happens naturally when you’re here all day long with not much to do.” That isn’t entirely true. As the main Librarian, she has plenty of things to do all day round. Take care of the books and the people, make sure the book deliveries get checked, ask customers if they want a book copied or not and so much more.

“I see.” The old man lets his hand trail over the hard and paperbacks on the shelves.

“So…You’re a war veteran?” Jill assumes. With crossed arms she leans against another bookshelf.

The man nods. “Yes, I used to be a Captain. Captain Victor, they’d call me. But I told my platoon they could call me Mikhail. Never been a fan of such strict formalities. Especially when not on duty.”

“Were the… were the wars different back then?” Jill curiously asks before she can help herself. War and the world before the Disease,

Mikhail shakes his head and chuckles which ends in a cough. “Not much. Sure, the tools might have changed, but the ‘ideals’, the reasons behind the wars not much. Too many angry men with too much power.” After some silence, he picks a book from the shelf. The topic is mainly about the military camps.

“History seems to easily repeat itself. Still, we learned from it as well. And besides all that cruelty, I also try to remember the kindness.”

Jill steps closer and looks at the page Mikhail’s opened. There are pictures of people in front of some tents. They’re all smiling while their weapons are sheathed close to them.

“Were you one of them?” she asks in a low voice.

Mikhail sighs: “No, not of these. I was with the Russian troops. Unlike some of the history books want to tell you, _we_ had humanity too. My platoon became my family. And I had to protect them at all costs. Most of them were honourable young men and women. They didn’t deserve all that pain and death.” He turns a page. Jill is unsure what to say so she decides to stay silent. She’d never served in a military. But she’d been with special forces. A group of tightknit mercenaries who were supposed to protect the people of the wasteland. Not betray them. She shudders at the last memory she has of them before trying to focus on the present. Nobody here can hurt her.

“They were such bright people. I’ll miss them. And yet, a part of me is glad they never got to witness this torn-apart world.” Mikhail lets out a sob and Jill awkwardly places a hand on his shoulder.

“Do you think this world will… get better?” the young Librarian asks.

“I don’t know. It’s like forces from without keep a stern hold on it. But I do try to believe that people can get better. _Do_ better and I think this place is a great example of how far we’ve come.”

Jill smiles. “We all do our best here to keep this the most neutral, peaceful zone. Alright, Mikhail, I’ll leave you be. Eh, if you need something, I’m downstairs. There’s a line next to the door. You can call it if you need any help.”

Mikhail smiles back. “I see. Thank you.”

Two hours later, Jill is piling up some books that need to be send out to other Libraries. One volunteer is helping to check off the list. Chris walks up to them with cups of tea on a plate.

“Don’t overdo it,” he glances over at his friend.

Jill rolls her eyes. “I’m fine, Chris. Hey, why don’t you offer Mikhail over there a cup too?” The old man is walking down the stairs with a few books in his arms.

“Him? Okay, sure.”

Once Jill is done with boxing the books and setting them aside for later, she joins Mikhail at the resting area. A few other visitors are having a drink or something to eat as well.

“Hey, Jill. This is truly a magnificent place. The Library is even bigger than the ones I’ve visited before.”

“Thanks. Looks like you found a few interesting books to borrow,” she gestures at the pile.

Mikhail chuckles. “Yes. I’d like to keep these on me for a bit longer if that's alright with you. This way, it feels like my comrades are with me again.”

“Really? That’s kind of…sweet but also heart-breaking,” Jill says.

“I know right? Alas, I was not lucky to have many physical memories from the war-, I mean from the _people_ I lived with, fought with together.”

“Are there really no pictures left? Like in those books?”

“I’ve had some. But I lost them in a fire,” Mikhail says. Then he taps on his beret. “The only reminder.”

“I’m sorry,” Jill wraps her hands around her cup and slightly flinches when it’s still rather hot.

“It’s alright. I can cope. I’ve had enough years behind me to learn that, haha!”

“Does it never get… too much?”

“Sometimes. But I have to keep moving forward. If not for myself, then for some people around me.”

“You still have family?”

“Not blood related, if that’s what you mean. But I have found family. The people I meet along the road. They help me keep going. And I help them in return with things. Some tricks I learned in the army, are still useful today.” That makes Jill smile. She’s glad there are still good people and people who know how to live with the weight of this world.

“You know what? If those books are such treasures to you, you can keep them.”

“You serious?” Mikhail looks surprised but Jill is serious.

“Yes. I don’t mind. I don’t even expect something in return.”

For a moment, she thinks Mikhail is going to tear up, but he doesn’t. “You are a very generous, young lady. That’s very admirable. Thank you so much. If I ever, on my travels, find something of worth, I’ll gift it to you. It is the least I can do.” He finishes his tea and gathers his books. Jill walks to the counter with him and offers him a special bag.

“Safe travels, Mikhail.”

“Safety be upon you as well, Jill. Until we meet again!” And so the young Librarian watches the old man leave with a bag full of memories.

**Author's Note:**

> The war Mikhail is referring to, isn't any specific one. It's up to the reader what sort of war it was. Ugly it was, for sure >:(


End file.
